Netanel Raanan, 35, is “father” to 52 of the boys, aged 14-16, who live and study at Boys Town Jerusalem. Unlike most dads, he is at their side daily from dawn till nearly midnight. Somewhere in between, this teacher and father of 52 teens also spends quality time with his wife and five kids (aged four months to 12 years) in the family’s home on the BTJ campus.
Being a dorm father is not a simple task
“As a dorm father and a teacher, I deal with boys’ souls,” Netanel explains. “They need to feel that I am fair, and that I believe in each one’s potential to become a caring, successful young man.” He notes that well over 40% of these students come from single-parent homes, and that poverty is rampant.
The new school year comes with challenges
“The beginning of the schoolyear is a major challenge for the new ninth-graders who enter the dormitories,” he notes. “I’m always encouraged to watch them later become the 11th and 12th graders who take care of the new kids, making discipline and respect the foundations of dorm living.” Fighting the fierce battle against the teens’ addiction to cell phones, the dorm father and his staff have tackled the challenge by creating ongoing “quality” activities of sports, games, fieldtrips, volunteering projects and much more.
Working with BTJ students has been a rewarding experience
Netanel Raanan, a popular Hebrew Language instructor at BTJ Junior High for the past nine years, holds a BA in Education and an MA in Administration. “I worked in sales for a short time before realizing that I need to devote my life to doing something more meaningful. Each day of my work with Boys Town Jerusalem students is a challenging, rewarding experience for life.”